On the afternoon of August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot to death in a confrontation with Darren Wilson, a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Within a week, the shooting became a flashpoint for a national discussion about race, policing, and justice in the United States. Using Ferguson as a case study, students will explore the media coverage and the protests that followed—driven largely by social media—and learn to become informed and effective civic participants in today’s digital landscape.

Benefit Co-Chairs Dorothy & Fred Johnson and Meggan & Daniel Kiel invite you to join us on Monday, October 24, for an inspirational and thought-provoking evening with community leaders, educators, and students. This annual benefit supports our vital work, which impacts over 215,000 students each year in the Memphis area.

Facing History partnered with filmmaker Artemis Jourkowsky for Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ Warand will provide resources for educators to bring the film into their classrooms.

Defying the Nazis is directed by Jourkowsky and celebrated filmmaker Ken Burns. The film tells the story of Martha and Waitstill Sharp, Americans who helped save scores of imperiled Jews and refugees fleeing Nazi occupation.